Around Town

Mount Auburn Cemetery Adds New Pedestrians Gates in Effort to Welcome the Community

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Photo by Charlie BreitroseThe opening of new pedestrian gates at Mount Auburn Cemetery was celebrated with a ribbon cutting. Pictured, from left, Mount Auburn Cemetery Trustee Sean McDonnell, Bree Harvey, Vice President of Cemetery & Visitor Services; Assistant City Manager Steve Magoon, State Rep. Steve Owens, Mount Auburn Cemetery President and CEO Matthew Stephens, and Cemetery neighbor Sarah Baker. Mount Auburn Cemetery opened its gate to the public, literally, on Friday when they celebrated the four new pedestrian entrances installed along the fence around the historic cemetery located in Watertown and Cambridge. Matthew Stephens, President and CEO of Mount Auburn Cemetery, said that the gates are part of Mount Auburn’s effort to make the property more open and welcoming to the public. “We want the community to be here in Mount Auburn,” Stephens said.

Around Town

Jury Rules Not Guilty on Rape Charges in Trial of Watertown Police Officer

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A Middlesex Superior Court jury found Watertown Police officer Kevin Rooney not guilty in the trial in which he faced two counts of rape and one count of indecent assault from an incident in 2021. Rooney has been placed on administrative leave by the Watertown Police, and Watertown Police Chief Justin Hanrahan told WBUR that he will remain on leave pending the results of the Police Department’s internal affairs investigation. Rooney also had his police certification suspended by the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission when he was indicted on the charges in December 2022. A woman who accused Rooney told prosecutors that she blacked out after three alcoholic drinks while at dinner in South Boston, and the next thing she next remembered was waking up next to a man she didn’t know. The man told her he was an off-duty Watertown Police officer, and he told her they had “hooked up,” according to court documents obtained by WBUR.

Entertainment

Call for Artists for the 2024 Watertown Arts Market

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Arts Market:

The Watertown Business Coalition is delighted to announce the fourth annual Watertown Arts Market will take place on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, from 12-5 p.m., location is TBD. This celebratory event brings together an abundance of artists, arts and cultural organizations, and arts- and culture-related businesses based in or serving Watertown. More information is available at www.watertownartsmarket.com. 

About the Watertown Arts Market

The Watertown Arts Market is a free, family-friendly, outdoor event that features a diverse selection of artists, authors, creatives, musicians, arts and culture organizations, and businesses who serve Watertown. Attendees can wander through the Market, learning about the artistic and cultural offerings in Watertown.

Government

City Manager Speaks About Climate Efforts During Governor’s Visit

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Photo by City of WatertownGov. Maura Healy spoke about the State’s ClimateTech Initiative at Via Separations, a clean tech startup in Watertown. The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

Governor Maura Healey spoke in Watertown at the 64 Pleasant Street lab building on Thursday, May 2, 2024, to announce a 10-year, $1.3 billion investment proposal as part of the Mass Leads Act ClimateTech Initiative. The proposal is expected to generate $16.4 billion in economic activity in the Commonwealth and further Massachusetts’ position as a global leader in climate tech. City Manager George Proakis introduced the Governor, and he spoke about Watertown’s work in leading the way in climate mitigation and resilience in Massachusetts. The City Manager highlighted Watertown’s role in fostering climate innovation, speaking on the City’s aggressive Climate Action Plan and the early adoption of the Specialized Stretch Energy Code. 

The City Manager also spoke of the success of the life science industry and its fiscal impact on Watertown.

Around Town

Come Meet the Artists Behind the New Pieces in Watertown’s Sculpture Walk

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Photo by Liz Helfer”All Style, No Substance” by Ken Reker is one of the new additions to the Watertown Community Sculpture Walk. Watertown’s Community Sculpture Walk has four new works of art, and the public is invited to meet the artists and find out about their process and inspiration. The opening reception for the new sculptures will be held on Friday, May 10 from 5-6 p.m. The tour begins at the beginning of the Community Path in Saltonstall Park (behind City Hall). Three of the artists will attend the opening, and one provided some audio of his poems to share at the event, said Liz Helfer, Watertown’s Public Arts & Culture Planner. Also attending the event will be Zachariah Hickman — the Tuba Guy.

Government

FY25 City Budget Includes New Police Program, Funds for High School Project & to Meet Climate Goals

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Watertown’s Budget Stable Now, May Not be in Future Years

Watertown City Hall

The City of Watertown’s financial situation looks good for Fiscal Year 2025, which starts July 1, 2024, but the City may face some challenging budgets in the following years, City Manager George told the City Council on Tuesday night. The budget includes funding some ongoing efforts, such as the Watertown Square Area Plan, the Watertown High School project. It also includes funding to implement the City’s Energy and Sustainability Plan, to start the human rights commission, and add new programs, including at the Watertown Police Department. On April 30, Proakis presented his FY25 budget, which will be $203.975 million, which is a 1.96 percent increase from the revised FY24 budget (the current year). The majority of the budget comes from local property taxes, which funds 81 percent, or $165 million in FY25.

Schools

School Officials & Police Believe Bomb Threats on 4 Schools Are Linked to Recent Publicity of Middle School Hit List

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Watertown Middle School

School officials and Police believe the bomb threats on four Watertown schools on Tuesday were the result of recent publicity of an incident at Watertown Middle School in January when a student’s hit list was found. In a statement from the Watertown Schools and WPD, they said the schools are committed to “ensuring the safety and well-being of all of our students,” that “Watertown is a kind and caring community,” and they “stand together against these hateful actions.” The hit list was discovered in January, and Watertown School officials and Watertown Police determined that there was not threat. At the time, some parents expressed concern about their children’s safety and questioned the response by School officials. On Jan.

Schools

Security Measures Increased at Watertown Schools Following Bomb Threat

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Watertown Middle School (Courtesy of Watertown Public Schools)

Superintendent Dede Galdston announced that the Watertown Police and the School personnel increased security measures after an bomb threat was sent by email. Police and school officials do not believe the threat to be credible and the schools will remain open, she added in the statement sent to the community. See the full statement below:

Dear Watertown Public Schools Community, 

This letter is to inform you about a bomb threat that we just received. Our schools are committed to the safety and education of all our students at all times, every day. We also want to clearly communicate with parents about safety issues when they arise. The email with the threat contained erroneous information from an unknown source that led us, in conjunction with the Watertown Police Department, to determine that the threat was not credible. 

With the help of the police department and district personnel, we have added the following layers of safety to our school day:

There will be an increased police presence at schools today and in the coming day

Reviewing information from the email to determine its source

Our schools entrances are controlled, and there is no reason to believe that any device is in our schools

Out of an abundance of caution, we are conducting a perimeter sweep with canine support

The Watertown Police Department has collaborated with other local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to investigate the matter

All entrances and exits to our schools are being redundantly monitored

The police department is actively investigating the threat to determine its origin with the goal of determining the source of the threat.